Criswell team digs near Dead Sea, site of scrolls’ discovery

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September 10, 2006
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DALLAS?In 1947, a goat herder threw a rock into a cave searching for a lost animal and heard the sound of breaking pottery.

His discovery, a series of writings now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, became one of the most important biblical archeological finds of all time. Later that year Father Roland De Vaux started the excavation of Wadi Qumran, where the scrolls were found.

“De Vaux only excavated the community,” said Randall Price, president of World of the Bible Ministries. “There is much more to the Wadi Qumran.”

Since De Vaux’s original find, archeologists have debated where the Dead Sea Scrolls originated.

For nearly a month this summer, 24 Criswell College students and three faculty members helped World of the Bible Ministries continue its dig on the southeastern side of the Wadi Qumran. The dig, part of which was filmed by the National Geographic Channel, is part of an effort to show the scrolls originated in Qumran.

While the theories range from the scrolls being placed in Dead Sea-area caves by extra-terrestrials, to the wider-held theory that the scrolls were created and put in the caves by followers of the Jewish sect of the Essenes, little is known about the origin of the scrolls and the people who put them there.

Price and the group aim to dispel a popular theory that the Dead Sea Scrolls did not originate in the Wadi Qumran, but from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. “Randall did a survey and found some curious anomalies in the southern part of the Wadi,” said Lamar Cooper, executive vice president and provost of Criswell College. “We were really rewarded in what was found.”

“We found the remains of several lamps and in many pots animal bones that were ceremoniously buried.” Price said. “There are many questions we are hoping to answer with what we found.”

Price and Cooper hope that the discoveries made this summer will enable them to link the community at Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The data collected and objects found will be analyzed with results published later this year.

“The animal bones were buried in pots outside the camp,” Price said, “in accordance to Levitical law on how to treat the remains of sacrifices to God.”

Price is hoping that DNA tests on the bones will allow them to genetically tie them to the leather scrolls found at the caves near Qumran linking the Qumran community and the scrolls.

“This will allow us to learn more about the Essenes as contemporaries of Jesus.”

The team explored a repository that was found a few summers ago.

“We also found several rare coins and a repertoire of pottery.” Price said. “Some of the coins were extremely rare first-century coins including a Pontus Pilate coin.”

The team that went from Criswell left Israel with first-hand knowledge of archeology.